RALEIGH – Commerce Secretary Jim Fain has announced that every North Carolina county retained its current economic development tier ranking for 2008 under a new system adopted by the General Assembly in 2006.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company have teamed up to launch a disaster planning guide for small business owners.

GREENSBORO – The Piedmont Triad Partnership announced a new Transformation Grant program that will support strategies to encourage, develop and implement alternative approaches to innovation, entrepreneurship, education and workforce development across the Piedmont Triad, and to ensure that opportunities related to these developments are accessible to the region’s rural communities and minority and underserved populations.

RALEIGH – Progress Energy’s (NYSE: PGN) board of directors has increased the dividend on the company’s common stock for the 20th straight year.

LILLINGTON – The board of the Harnett Forward Together Committee recently announced the official name and logo of the new science and technology campus in Lillington.

LAUREL HILL – Palmetto Aluminum, LLC announced today that it will invest $1 million to start its business in the former MSD building at Laurel Hill Industrial Park.

FAYETTEVILLE – Methodist University announced that Congress has approved $399,500 for its Methamphetamine Educational Training Project.

MOUNT GILEAD – McRae Industries, Inc. (Pink Sheets: MRINA; MRINB) reported consolidated net revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2008 of $21,305,000, compared to $17,565,000 for the first quarter of fiscal 2007.

MOUNT GILEAD – McRae Industries, Inc. (OTC Pink Sheets: MRINA) has declared a dividend of 9 cents per share on the company’s Class A Common Stock payable on Dec. 28 to shareholders of record on Dec. 14.

ROCKINGHAM – Four Oaks Fincorp, Inc. (OTC BB:FOFN), the holding company for Four Oaks Bank & Trust Company, and LongLeaf Community Bank have signed a definitive merger agreement providing for the merger of LongLeaf into Four Oaks.

ASHEBORO – FNB United Corp. (NASDAQ: FNBN), the holding company for CommunityONE Bank, announced that it’s board of directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 15 cents per share, which is the same rate as paid in the prior quarter.

TROY – The Board of Directors of First Bancorp (Nasdaq: FBNC), the parent company of First Bank, has declared a cash dividend of 19 cents per share payable Jan. 25 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 31.

BUIES CREEK – CVS Pharmacy has announced that it will partner with Campbell University’s Pharmacy Readiness and Enrichment program, which seeks to expose minority students with an aptitude for science to career options in pharmacy and prepares them for the Pharmacy College Admissions exam.

CHAPEL HILL – Effective tomorrow, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina will waive the copayment on all generic medications that treat congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

FAYETTEVILLE – Michael Nagowski has been named president and chief executive officer of Cape Fear Valley Health System.

FAYETTEVILLE – Standard & Poor’s Rating Service has raised the Fayetteville Public Works Commission’s revenue bond rating from A+ to AA-, noting the utility has a strengthening financial profile with a stable outlook.

WINSTON-SALEM – The board of directors of BB&T Corporation (NYSE: BBT) has declared a 2008 first quarter dividend of 46 cents per share, a 9.5 percent increase over the 42 cents paid in the first quarter of 2007.